Artwork Page for Catching Fireflies

Details / Information for Catching Fireflies

Catching Fireflies

c. 1796–97

Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川 歌麿

(Japanese, c. 1754–1806)
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Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
Triptych of woodblock prints; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Overall: 38.2 x 76.8 cm (15 1/16 x 30 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Jeptha H. Wade in honor of Emily V. Wade 1975.98
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Caught up in a frenzied pursuit of fireflies, one boy has waded into a stream after his quarry, while a younger one watches in anticipation as a young woman thrusts her fan into the air in the hope of capturing hers. In the center of the composition, a girl examines the insects trapped in her elegantly carved cage.
A horizontally oriented woodblock print depicts several figures with light skin tones catching fireflies near a stream. On the left, two women and a child stand near a willow tree. Centrally, three women in patterned black and tan robes carry fans and a cage. To the right, two women lean over a bank as a figure in a short tunic wades in the water. Dark, heavy clouds gather at the top.

Catching Fireflies

c. 1796–97

Kitagawa Utamaro

(Japanese, c. 1754–1806)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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